Effects of agricultural activities on soil inorganic nitrogen along an altitudinal gradient in Motuo, Southeastern Xizang, China

doi:10.7523/j.ucas.2023.043

Abstract

Abstract: Soil inorganic nitrogen (SIN, NH⁺₄-N, and NO^-₃-N) is a vital indicator of soil N supply. Studying the current status of farmlands’ soil inorganic nitrogen (SIN) on the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau is important to achieve the sustainability of plateau agriculture development. Ten pairs of farmland and forest soils were collected along the sampling gradient from 800 to 2 000 m (a.s.l.) in Motuo of southeastern Xizang, to investigate the effects of agricultural activities on SIN and clarify the environmental drivers of SIN. The results have shown that human activities significantly changed the concentration and spatial distribution pattern of SIN in farmlands. The topsoil (0-10 cm) was vulnerable to human activities. NH⁺₄-N concentration of topsoil decreased significantly and NO^-₃-N concentration increased significantly after reclamation. The SIN of the forests did not differ significantly among layers, but large differences were seen in the farmlands’ SIN among layers. SIN in forest ecosystems was influenced by altitude, soil temperature, soil moisture, and pH value, while agricultural ecosystems were not sensitive to environmental factors. The change amount of SIN after reclamation was mainly determined by soil temperature and soil pH value. In conclusion, reasonable agricultural management is necessary to achieve sustainable development of regional agriculture.

Key words: Southeastern Xizang, transect sampling, farmlands, soil inorganic nitrogen, Motuo

CLC Number:

S154.1

LEI Haojing, XU Ri, QU Songbo, SHAMA Ribu, LI Fengzi, ZHANG Lin, LIANG Eryuan. Effects of agricultural activities on soil inorganic nitrogen along an altitudinal gradient in Motuo, Southeastern Xizang, China[J]. Journal of University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 2025, 42(3): 328-338.

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